How often do you come across a theologian who is as funny and mischievous as he is smart? I’m no scholar, but I know a good thinker when I see one, and the first time I read a sample section of James Alison’s catechetical course online I laughed out loud, and then I immediately read it again—twice. His analogy of the Church as a restaurant is so perfect, so true, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. More...

Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t write a gospel of his own? He could read, he probably could write—or he could have dictated his thoughts to a trusty scribe. I’ve puzzled over this for years.

A quote by the English mystic Caryll Houselander shed some light on things for me. She wrote, “We tend to use arguments like a sledgehammer with which we deal blow upon blow on the head of the unfortunate victim of our apostolic zeal, as if we could stun him into belief or convert him by concussion.” She’s right. Our religious arguments are endless and ineffectual, and they are often fueled by words, words, and more words. More here...